Apparatus for cleaning beer-pipes



(No Model.)

J. G. BAUMGARTH.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING BEER PRES. No. 565,591.

Patented 'AugYLMAAL-S.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN e. BAUMGARTH, or BROOKLYN, NEw YORK.

APPARATUS` FOR CLEANING BEER-PIPES.

SPECIFICATION forming pail; of Letters Patent No. 565,591, dated August q:11, 18196.

Application tiled April 2, 1896. Serial No. 585,858. (No model.)

To a/Z whom it nm/U concern.-

. Be it known that I, JOHN GEORGE BAUM- GARTH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, Kings county, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning Beer-Pipes, che., of which the following isa specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of a new and improved form, of simple and cheap construction, which may be operated by unskilled labor, by which beerpipes or other pipes of similar character which it is desired to clean from sediment or dirt collected therein may be quickly, cheaply, and easily cleaned; and to that end my device consists of a cold-water chamber, an airchamber, a cleaning-liquid chamber, a hotwater chamber, a pipe connected with the airchamber and with an air-pressure supply, and pipes connecting the various chambers, one with the other, and a plurality of Outiiow-pipes for connection with the pipes to be cleaned, adapted to be brought into communication with either or all of the chambers, and means for regulating the dow from the various chambers, although it is not to be understood that the invention is limited to a device or apparatus necessarily comprising .at once all the devices or parts before mentioned, for the invention consists in certain various combinations or arrangements of such devices and parts, and the construction of certain devices and parts, all substantially as hereinafter fully described, set forth, and claimed. Such apparatus or device is fully shown and described in the fol-` lowing speciiication, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, wherein similar letters and numerals of reference designate like or equivalent parts wherever found throughout the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a front view and elevation of my improved apparatus for cleaning beerpipes, a portion of the front wall being broken away in Order to show the interior arrangement thereof; and, Fig. 2 is a side view in section of a cert-ain portion of the main outflow-pipe with air-eduction pipes in position therein, the view being in section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 looking from theright.

Referring to the drawings, the referenceletter A designates the receptacle of my improved beer-pipe-cleaning apparatus, which is preferably formed of sheet metal or any other suitable material, and is preferably of rectangular form and of any desired height, usually of about three feet, and such receptacle A is preferably supported by four legs B. The interior of the receptacle A is divided into a cold-water chamber C, located on one side of the same, the hot-water chamwhich forms the outlet for the cleaning-com pound chamber, is a pipe 10, which ends at the bottom in a chamber l1, to which are connected a plurality of small pipes 12, usually six in number, as shown, each of which is provided with a suitable stop-cock 13. The pipe 10 is connected with the cock 8 by means of a T-coupling '14, and the T-coupling is connected with the cock 9 at the bottom of the cold-water chamber C' by a pipe 15 and with the cock 7 at the bottom of the hot-water chamber D by a'pipe 1G.

In communication with the coldwater chamber C is a suitable inflow-pipe 17, adapted to be brought into communication with a hydrant or other water -pressure-supply source in any desired manner, and in communication, respectively, with the cold-water chamber C, with the air-pressure chamber E,

and with the hot-water chamber D, at the top,

are suitable stopcocks 18, 19, and`20, and in `communication with the cleaning-compound chamber F is a similar cock 21. Forming a communication between the cocks 1B and 20 is a pipe 22, also in communication with the air-pressure chamber E by means of a suitable pipe 23, Vand with the stop-cock 2l of the cleaning-compound chamber F by means of a suitable pipe 24, and communicating with the cleaning-compound chamber F is a suit IOO able iillingpipe 25, provided with a suitable stop-cock 26, through which pipe 25 the de? sired cleaning compound may be introduced into the chamber F. In communication with the stop-cock 19 at the top of the air-pressure chamber E is a suitable air-pipe 27, Which preferably passes down behind the receptacle A and enters the pipe 10, as shown in Fig. 2 at the point marked y, at substantially the angle shown, so that the direction of the flow of whatever iiuids are passing through the pipes is substantially the same, and that the flow of the fluid through the pipe 27 will accelerate and assist the flow of the fluid passing through the pipe 10. Adjacent to its junction with the pipe 10 the pipe 27 is provided With a stop-cock 2S, and between the stop-cock`28 and the stop-cock 19, preferably at the point shown in Fig. 1, is a stop-cock 29, adapted to be brought into communication, by means of a rubber tube or other suitable conduit, with any suitable air-pressure supply.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The beer-pipes having been disconnected at both ends, the apparatus is placed in position, preferably above the upper ends of such beer-pipes. The pipes 12 are connected with the beer-pipes, preferably by means of rubbertubing. The pipe 17 is connected with the hydrant or other suitable Water-pressure supply. The hot-water chamber D is filled with hot Water through the oriiice 30, which is then closed with a plug 31, provided with an air-vent, or such hot-water chamber D may, if desired, be brought into communication by a suitable pipe with a hot- Water-pressure supply. The stop-cock 29 is then connected with an air-pressure supply, usually with the beer-pump ordinarily used for keeping up pressure in the beer-casks, and the receptacle F is filled, by way of the pipe 25,With any suitable cleaning compound, solid or liquid, which will dissolve and clean out the sediments or scales which are deposited or formed upon the interior of the pipes by the action of the beer thereon, and this cleaning material is usually, but not necessarily, of a liquid form. All the stop-cocks being closed, the stop-cocks 13 of so many of the pipes 12 as are in communication with the beer-pipes to be cleaned are opened, the water from the hydrant, in communication With the pipe 17, is opened, and water admitted to the chamber C, and the stop-cock 9 being then opened the water iiows from the chamber C through the cock 9 and pipes 15 and 10, to the pipes 12, and through them to the beerpipes, which it flushes out.

If for any reason the water-pressure should not be sufficient, as soon as the chamber O has been filled with water the valve of the hydrant is closed and the air-pump set to work to pump air under pressure into the airchamber E, and as soon as the pressure therein has reached the required point indicated by a suitable pressure-gage (not shown) connected to the air-chamber, the stop-cock 1S is opened and the air under pressure passing up through the pipes 23 and 22 and down into the chamber C will cause the Water to flow out through the pipes 15 and 10 and through the beer-pipes with great force. Of course when it is desired to use the apparatus where Water under pressure is not available, the Water will have to be inserted through the pipe 17 and the cock 32 closed before the air under pressure is admitted to the chamber C by the opening of the stop-cock 1S. After the Water has thoroughly cleaned the foreign substances from the pipes and comes therefrom comparatively clean, the stop-cock 9 and also the stop-cock 1S, if the air-pressure has been used to force the Water through the pipes, are closed, and the stop-cocks 8 and 21 are opened and the air-pump is again set to Work generating pressure in the chamber F.. As soon as this is done the pressure of the air in the chamber E as it is forced down through the pipe 21 into the chamber F will force the fluid cleaning compound in the chamber F down through the stop-cock 8 and pipe 10, and through the pipes 12 into the beer-pipes, and as soon as the cleaning compound begins to flow from the farther end of such beerpipes the cocks at their farther end are closed or the ends of such pipes plugged, and such compound is allowed to remain in the pipes for a few moments and for a sufficient time for the cleaning compound to act upon the sediment or scales in the pipe and loosen and dissolve the same, and as soon as the cleaning compound has remained in the pipes a sufficient length of time to thoroughly dissolve and loosen the foreign substances therein the stop-cock 8 and the stop-cock 21 are closed and the stop-cocks 7and 20 are opened. As soon as this is done the pressure of the air forces the hot water in the chamber D down through the pipes 16 and v10 and through the beer-pipes and flushes out the loosened sediment and the cleaning compound, and, if desired, after the hot Water has Washed the pipes out they may be further ushed with cold water from the chamber C, as hereinbefore described. In the case of the uids from any of the chambers, the flow thereof may be accelerated and assisted, even When the airchamber E is in communication with the chamber from which the iiuid is iiowing, by the opening of the cock 2S and the permitting of the air to ilow under pressure through the pipe 27 into the pipe 10, so as to have an ejecting and injecting effect upon the iiuid flowing through the pipe 10. In some cases instead of a Iiuid cleaning compound, as before stated, a cleaning compound in the form of a solid dissolvable in water, such as sal soda, or any dissolvable cleaning compound may be inserted in the chamber F, and in such case such chamber F is preferably provided at the bottom With a filtering-plate of porous earthenware or other suitable filtering-diaphragm 34, which will permit of the free passage of' water under pressure there- IOO IIO

through, but which will prevent the passage of any of the solid cleaning compound. In such case, and where the cleaning compound is solid, the chamber F, when it is desired to force the cleaning compound into the beerpipes, isbrought into communication with the chamber C by opening the cocks 18 and 21, and water being admitted under pressure through the pipe 17 ,as hereinbefore described, such Water will be forced up through the cock 18 and pipes 22 and 24, and down through the solid cleaning compound, where it will dissolve and take up a sufficient quantity thereof to act upon the pipes, and will then, holding this cleaning compound in solution, be forced down through the ilteringdiaphragm 34 and through the pipes 10 and 12 into the beer-pipes.

If it is desired to use hot water for dissolving the solid cleaning compound, the pipe 35 is connected with the hot-water receptacle D and extends nearly to the bottom thereof and communicates at its upper end 4with the pipe 24, and in such case the pipe 35 is provided with a stop-cock 36 and the pipe 34C with a smaller cock 37. In such cases, the cock 37 being closed and the cocks 36 and 2l open and the air-pump forming pressure in the airchamber E, the air passing up through the pipes 23 and 22 and down through the cock 2O will force the hot water in the chamber D up through the pipe 35 and down through the pipe 24 into the chamber F, whence it will pass, as hereinbefore described, to the beerpipes, taking up in its passage a certain portion of the solid cleaning compound.

It is evident that the said apparatus may be used for cleaning pipes other than beerpipes, and that many modifications in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the several parts of my improved beer-pipecleaning apparatus, other than those mentioned herein, may be made without departing from the scope of my invention, and I do not limit myself to the particular form of construction thereof herein shown and described, or, in fact, to any particular form; but,

Having now particularly described my said invention, its construction and operation,

what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a receptacle C, of a receptacle F for containing a cleaning compound, a hot-water receptacle D, an air-chamber E having suitable connections with the chambers, C, D and F, means for filling the receptacles C and D with water, a plurality of pipes l2 adapted to be brought into communication with the receptacles C, D and F, by way of a suitable pipe or pipes provided with suitable valves or cocks, and means for causing pressure wit-hin the air-chamber E, substantially as shown and described.

2. In adevice of the class described, a pipe or pipes adapted to be brought into communication with the beer-pipes to be cleaned,cham bers C and D, in communication with the pipe or pipes adapted to be brought into communication with the beer-pipes, a cleaning-compound chamber F, an air-pressure chamber E, stop-cocks 20 and 18, and a pipe 22 forming a communication between the chambers C and D, a pipe 23 forming a communication between the pipe 22 and the chamber E, apipe 24 forming a communication between the pipe 22 and a stop-cock 21 in communication with the chamber F, a stop-cock 19 in communication with the chamber E, an air-pipe 27 in communication with the stop-cock 19, a stopcock 7 in communication with the chamber D through a pipe 16, a stop-cock 9 in communication with the chamber C and wit-h the pipe 15, a stop-cock 8in communication with the receptacle Fmand a T-coupling lfi forming a communication between the pipes 16 and l5 and the cock 8, a pipe 10 forming a communication between the pipes 12 and the T 14, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention Ihave signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 31st day of March, 1896.

JOHN G. BAUMGARTH.

Vitnesses:

J. C. LEBRET, O. BLOCK. 

